Arena Settings
The primary fighting arena at the Pokemon Combat College features a highly advanced variable terrain system. This system uses a series of pre-fabricated components and settings to dramatically change the arena layout, allowing for an unusually large number of terrain settings, depending on event or battle layout. There are 100 settings in all, and each one features a different configuration of terrain, lighting, and even weather. The settings list is listed below: Settings #001-021 are standard combat arenas. A few are themed, a few have hazards, but by and large they are fairly straightforward. * Setting #001: The default arena configuration; an open field with few actual obstacles except a few low walls around the exterior perimeter. Primarily used during exhibition eevents, it's actually a remarkably popular arena, mostly due to it being well-lit and the most visible for the crowd. * Setting #002: Grass-type configuration. Features multiple trees, shrubs, and vines, offering a lot of "soft" cover and a lot of places to hide. Some of the plants are artificial, but many of them are real. Tends to be very popular amongst some mon due to its woodland nature. A stream winds through from one corner of the arena to the other, but is only about six inches deep at the center. * Setting #003: Water-type configuration; the favorite of Rose. Features multiple small "Islands" established in a shallow pool with narrow bridges connecting them in a hexagon pattern. Small observation towers offer some high ground, whilst the watery area below is a haven for aquatic Pokemon. * Setting #004: Fire-type configuration; the favorite of Dante. Features a setting designed to look like a volcanic area, including jets of flame and lots of rocky out-crops. The varied terrain suits a wide variety of combat styles, but the arena has been criticized as being easy to exploit for some Pokemon. The flame geysers frequently hurl out soot and ash, which most Ice types find absolutely miserable. * Setting #005: Rock-type configuration; a favorite of Ruka. Features large, stone monoliths in spots, and an artificial set of rocky hills with a low cliff, allowing combat across a huge array of different environments. An artificial river bisecting the arena with a stone bridge over it gives some unexpected support for aquatic Pokemon as well. * Setting #006: Bug-type arena; features a large, grassy plain with sparse trees and a bamboo thicket. Cords stretching between them with firefly lanterns (that are actually battery-powered) provide an impressive backdrop and some interesting auxillary illumination. Though the terrain's hills are very gentle, it has almost no flat terrain. 2 slightly larger, wooden building mock-ups dot the edges, which frequently make for some sought-after terrain in pitched battles. * Setting #007: Electric-type arena; resembles an old-fashioned power plant, with impressive tesla coils at the arena edge, impressive-looking (but useless except as cover) control panels, and cords and wiring in certain spots. An arena configuration known for terrain hazards; canny pokemon have been known to charge the tesla coils with their own lightning attacks to prevent enemies from fleeing towards them. * Setting #008: Psychic-type arena; features neon-colored translucent terrain (predominantly formed from advanced thermoplastics) that will stop enemy attacks, but not break line-of-sight. Stacks of empty storage containers and a few more conventional walls make for exploitable terrain for sneakier mon, and even the odds against these mental titans. Though not his favorite, Red is said to enjoy battling here. * Setting #009: Ghost-type arena, calling to mind a haunted house; a favorite of Hestia. Old, battered furniture and wall mock-ups make this an entertaining setting to fight in, whilst dim lighting and the errant fake blood splatter go a long way towards unnerving more sensitive combatants. * Setting #010: Flying-type arena. A series of six towers with interconnecting bridges and ladders provide a major impetus to stay on high ground, whilst a large central fan, covered with dense mesh to prevent combatants from falling in, provides periodic updrafts for flyers to take advantage of. Has remarkably little cover outside of the towers, though the towers themselves often act as perches for flying pokemon to take a momentary rest during the fights. * Setting #011: Fighting-type arena. A largely flat terrain environment resembling the inside of a dojo. Wooden posts and some exercise equipment (including a heavy bag) breaks up the monotony, whilst the thin papered walls provide both hiding spots and an impetus to cut them down for those favoring brute force. A few low staircases are all that keeps this arena from being completely flat. * Setting #012: Steel-type arena. An industrial area filled with construction equipment and chains. Poorly lit, offering many places to hide, though it illuminated by a series of ceiling lights. Favored by Ingrid for the dramatic fights it causes, it's disliked by several mon because it offers a lot of areas for sneakier mon to take cover or flee. * Setting #013: Dark-Type Arena; Much of the arena floor is painted with matte, light-absorbing paint, save for the terrain pieces and a few paths, laid out in darker shades, the arena itself resembling a darkened alleyway amidst a big city. This arena can be difficult to fight on for the inexperienced; Dark Types can find many places to hide amidst the heavier cover and truly sneaky mon can find ways to look like any of the many severe shadows cast on this battlefield by the brighter lights at the edge of the battlefield. The huge city building mock-ups are one of the most-notable forms of hard-cover on the roster. Both Marcel and Sarina favor this one. * Setting #014: Poison-Type Arena; features a veritable cesspit of toxic substances in the center virtually guaranteed to induce poison status in all-but-the-immune if knocked into it. Otherwise features a number of platforms and house mock-ups edging the central toxin pool, providing several spots to attack from. A series of shallow pools of clean water are on the far outer edge, connected by underwater tunnels, giving an unexpected surprise for anyone expecting water types to be helpless here. * Setting #015: Dragon-type arena; a favorite of Julius. Resembles a small castle, complete with crenelated walls and ramparts. A favorite of not only duelists, but of the errant dragon-type, this arena is one of the most popular on the rotation specifically because it caters to almost every fighting style. A splendid fountain in the castle courtyard provides a favored ambush spot, and the moat right outside the castle walls is a favored angle of attack for water-types. * Setting #016: Fairy-type arena; resembles a ballroom with furnishings made of crystal. In actuality, it's made of clear themoplastics like the environs of Setting #008, but the effect is impressive nonetheless. Beautiful lighting and formality tends to cover up how intense the fighting here can get; The arena has precious little cover and making the chandelier fall towards a hapless enemy is a nigh-constant occurrence. In fact, the Chandelier breaking happened so often that it's actually made of a much lighter and cheaper material, though most never notice this. Two large, curving staircases and two equally splendid balconies make this a perfect area for pitched battles with a touch of class. * Setting #017: Ground-type arena; features a lot of sand and a mock-up of one of several different terrain centerpieces; in the past, it has had mock-ups of wrecked pirate ships, old ruins, and at one point, a ruined marketplace; all such terrain pieces will invariably be buried in sand. Ground-types that can dig positively love this arena due to their ability to tunnel with impunity, whereas those without this ability tend to stick to the skies or take advantage of whatever the terrain centerpiece is. Several characters, most notably Rose, dislike this arena due to a lack of usable terrain for water-types. * Setting #018: Ice-Type Arena. Resembles a frozen lake, with snowy terrain. The cold weather and unique environments pose interesting challenges - and potential rewards - for mon who want to exploit them. Though frigid, the lake itself provides good available mobility for water types, provided they can break the ice, and the few trees and snowdrifts in the area allow for both hard and soft cover, and some variety. A single bridge stretches from one side of the lake to the other, providing a way across for those not willing to risk the lake itself, but the bridge itself can leave the unprepared sitting ducks for attackers. * Setting #019: Event Battle arena; originally was a setting used for a stage show but became incredibly popular amongst several mon for both the dramatic showmanship it allows and because it's a very challenging arena to fight on. Its centerpiece is a five-sided, star-shaped pyramid, with massive staircases leading up towards the summit. Wide ledges mark each third of the pyramid, offering several areas for fights to occur. The pyramid's external area features a number of signal torches, and a moat outside, that give both alternate angles of attack and some room for waterbound mon to maneuver. This arena is rather notorious for being where Valerie showed off her mega form for the first time, leading to the defeat of her long-time rival, Dante. * Setting #020: Event Battle arena; a bowl-shaped arena containing a water feature shaped like an Omanyte's shell. Water flows in the trenches of the shell imprint, whilst narrow walkways cross-cross over the thing. Whilst criticized by many for being an essentially flat arena with no obstacles aside from its water hazard, several mon have found it quite good for training due to the high-speed current and focus on balance, lest one be knocked into the drink. * Setting #021: Assault field. Features simple terrain, including sandbag piles, a full-fledged obstacle course, and building mock-ups connected by ziplines. This field has a bit of something for everyone, and mon canny enough to exploit it can make excellent use of the terrain here, but it's also been criticized for offering long-range fighters places to camp and/or snipe. Krys is fond of this field. Settings #022-030 come with built-in weather effects. These weather effects can be overwritten by mon with their own Weather-related effects as normal, but will otherwise persist the entire match. They are primarily used for training purposes, since weather effects can give disproportionately large benefits to certain mon on the battlefield. * Setting #022: Weather-Enabled Field: Sunny Day. This setting is very similar to Setting #002, but has the notable addition of using powerful overhead lighting arrangements to start with a semi-permanent form of Sunny Day already enabled. As is the case for all weather-type fields, the artificial sunlight is overwritten by conventional weather abilities, but otherwise lasts the entire fight. * Setting #023: Weather-Enabled Field: Rain Dance. This Setting is somewhat analogous to Setting #013, but with the added addition of a fierce rainstorm, meaning a version of Rain Dance is already enabled. As is the case for all weather-type fields, the downpour, brought about through a sprinkler system, is overwritten by conventional weather abilities, but otherwise lasts the entire fight. * Setting #024: Weather-Enabled Field: Cloud Cover. This Setting somewhat resembles Setting #010, but features fog machines specifically designed to simulate the effects of Cloudy weather. As is the case for all weather-type fields, the cloudy weather is overwritten by conventional weather abilities, but otherwise lasts the entire fight. * Setting #025: Weather-Enabled Field: Snowstorm. This Setting somewhat resembles Setting #018, but features wind and snow generators to cause a constant downfall of snow, simulating the effects of Snowy weather. As is the case for all weather-type fields, the snowstorm itself is overwritten by conventional weather abilities, but otherwise lasts the entire fight. * Setting #026: Weather-Enabled Field: Sandstorm. This Setting somewhat resembles Setting #017, but features high-speed wind turbines to kick up an artificial Sandstorm. As is the case for all weather-type fields, the sandstorm itself is overwritten by conventional weather abilities, but otherwise lasts the entire fight. * Setting #027: Weather-Enabled Field: Thick Fog. This Setting somewhat resembles Setting #003, but features fog machines that generate particularly thick fog. Due to the extremely limited visibility, the water-type field can become quite forboding, especially for those fighting sneakier enemies. As is the case for all weather-type fields, the Fog effect is overwritten by conventional abilities and can be shut off entirely with Defog, but otherwise lasts the entire battle. * Setting #028: Weather-Enabled Field: Hail. This Setting resembles Setting #005, but features machines that generate a hailstorm. This particular hazard is particularly troubling, so cover has been added to the rock-type field to provide some protection during the hail effect. As is the case for all weather-type fields, the weather is overwritten by other weather abilities. Unlike the other weather fields, Hail is only active for short periods - giving fighters ample time to move between cover, provided they hustle! * Setting #029: Weather-Enabled Field: Miasma. Originally developed for Rescue Team training, this setting is rarely used, being a version of Setting #014 that happens to be flooded with an irritating poison mist in various spots. Though Poison and Steel types are immune to this effect, all other mon can be affected by the poison if exposed too long, which is why it's normally used for hazardous environment training - and little else. Like all the other weather-related fields, the poison mist can be stopped with more conventional weather abilities, or cleared out entirely with Defog. * Setting #030: Weather-Enabled Field: Shadow Aura. This is a hazard field developed for Rescue Team training, much like Setting #029. The field itself resembles Setting #012, but has a series of machines designed to mimic, though far from perfectly, the fictitious "Shadow" weather type. In practice, it does so simply by releasing damaging energy from above every round. Because of this, this field is extremely volatile; cover is at a premium and the toughest battles are often centered around keeping to what little safe ground remains! Thankfully, the damage effect only occurs periodically, and smarter mon will shut the effect off as soon as possible with weather effects of their own. This battlefield is not recommended except for the hardcore, or those looking to test their skills. Suffice to say, some individuals have fought here or trained here just to prove their strength.